h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Everyone: I had the misfortune of receiving the article on the so-called origins of the Taj Mahal due to some chain email going around.

The only feedback I would like to give this Mr.Oak and his fundamentalist colleagues is that across the globe, most monuments by
invadors/victors are built on the ruins of the invaded. For example, St. Peter's Cathedral is based on the ruins of a Roman temple, as is St. Canterbury church and most other religious sites in the UK and
Europe. So what's the point? That is a part of the history of the world.

The destruction of hindu temples by the Mughal empire is a reality, and the invasion and assimilation of Mughals into India is a part of our history, not to shy away from, but to accept as a part of our national story. To try to re-write history, or demand some kind of reparation from current Muslims in India instead of going forward as a nation I find is a fruitless (at best) and dangerous (at worst) task.

Dangerous because it creates ill-will where there should be collaboration. Imagine how ridiculous it would become if people across the globe demanded reparations for all the ills done by invadors to various ryots thru the last 3,000 years!

I would be shocked if the Red Fort and other monuments were not built on foundations of earlier buildings. The same goes for several Aryan temples that were probably built on the ruins of earlier Dravidian religious sites that they displaced. So what's Mr. Oak's suggested remedy to them?

The writer of "A Ridiculous Controversy" does not seem to have any pride on her past and is thoroughly misinformed.She does not even know that the ARYAN invasion theory in itself is a myth which has been trashed by scholars across the world and some few oppurtunist historians under the patronage of there political "fathers" choose to cling on to it....there is nothing like detsruction of dravidian temples and building of aryan temples, that is not India's ethos.Such subversive actions were only brought to india by the muslim innvaders.Nobody is asking for restoration of temple at the site of the existing TAJ, but the truth must prevail...future generations should know the reality behind this monument and not just live in a fools paradise singing praises of Shahjanhans everlasting love for his queen...bandemataram

I completely agree with her.. Even if it is the truth, the cost of proving it is too high.. it would shatter the muslim community who are so proud of it.. and it would only give rise to problems.. instead of fighting over the origin and establishing whether it has a hindu or muslim origin, we should all be just proud that a building of such marvel decorates our homeland.. and be content with that.. rather be elated about that instead of fighting over the petty matter of its origin..

We are not again going to repeat the Babri Masjid story but we just want to have a confirmation and secrets of one of the world wonders even today.If people can be duped like this by history then we may not be in a position to believe history.I completely agree with Mr.Oak to put pressure on the archelogical dept in opening the sealed doors to have more insight.Its mere enthusiasm of any human to have more insight into contraversial things.I do agree this that we have to pay much if this issue is highlited.But from my point of view i thank Mr.Oak for taking much pains in getting this thing into limelight.
Recently i visited Taj and was astonished of its beauty,as i recollected my learnings from my childhood days about this marvelous monument.Ealier i had a great pride to Shahjahan for building this great monument but now i am totally confused whether this is built by him or not.Its shame from his part to steal something and say its his own.He would have told that he conquered the temple from Hindu kings and made it as a tomb,instead of claiming himself as the constructor.